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One reviewer complained about the hotel only having six car parking spaces for 19 rooms to which Paul simply replied: “Unfortunately, when they built the hotel in 1796 they didn’t include enough car parking spaces” before pointing out the guest used a free parking space on the Esplanade.

Paul added: “I’m just really fed up with the PC and ‘customer is always right’ type of argument.

“The customer isn’t always right and we’re not always right but there must be a level playing field and we have got to treat each other with respect.

Paul Chatwin, the owner of the Royal Clarence Hotel

“But if they go too far then it’s only fair we should correct them if they have something wrong.”

While some may think Paul’s responses may scare anyway potential guests, his thinks his blunt approach may have attracted more guests.

He revealed that three guests checked into his hotel recently said they did so based on his replies.

Paul defends his cleaning staff in one reply

“I get a lot of people that actually say thank you for being honest”, he adds.

“I have had local businesses say the same and say how refreshing to see someone prepared to stand up for themselves and their business when most would not reply or give a bog standard reply.”

Paul hopes his budget hotel will attract more guests in the coming months but he will continue to resist TripAdvisor reviews for the foreseeable future.

One of Paul's replies to a guest complaining about his customer service

"At the moment it is a pretty unfair system and I cannot see it changing".

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